Stitch-ripper.



W. A. GOU RTLAND.

STITCH RIPPER.

APPLICATION; FILED MAY 16. 1910.

1,097,614. Patented May 26, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPII cm. WASHINGTON, bx

W. A. GOURTLAND.

STITCH RIPPER.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 16, 1910.

Patented May 26, 1914 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WILLIAM .A. COURTLAND, 0 NEW YORK, Y.

STITCH-RIPPER.

manor-a.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 16, 1910.

Patented May 26, 1914-.

Serial No. 561,7?6.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, human A. Comermzvn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Eltitch-Rippers, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a simple and effective hand tool for conveniently and quickly ripping the stitching in a sewed fabric without injuring the fabric.

Many attempts have been made in the past to produce an effective stitch ripping device, but in the operation of all such prior devices known to me, it has been necessary to work very slowly and exercise great skill. and care to avoid cutting the material from which the stitches are being ripped. lnly illllJl'OYQCl stitch ripping tool avoids this great disadvantage since it is so constructed that it is impossible to out the fabric and the operator can therefore work as rapidly as he pleases without the exercise of special care or skill.

There are several features of importance embodied in my improved stitch ripping tool. The tool is formed of a body portion of convenient size and shape for rapid handling with a head or active part constructed with spreading surfaces adapted to engage the material upon opposite sides of a line of stitching which is to be ripped, and a knife mounted in said head or active portion of the tool and n'esented forwardly therein be tween. said stretching surfaces so as to engage and sever the thread of the stitching when it is drawn across the knife by the action of the spreading surfaces. It is essential that the ripping knife shall not project sufliciently beyond the spreading surfaces to engage the material on either side of the line of stitching. Satisfactory results can sometimes be obtained with a tool in which the knife projects very slightly in advance of the spreading surfaces, but the best results with the least requirements of skill in operation can be obtained with a tool in which the ripping knife is presented in rear of or within the periphery or contour line of the spreading surfaces. The preferred form of my improved tool is constructed upon the latter plan.

lo. the preferred form of the tool, the active portion or head is of cylindrical form (or approximately so), with a transverse recess or groove formed in its active face and the ripping knife so mounted. in the active portion or head of the tool that it will he presented forwardly transversely of said groove or recess and within the contour or peripheral line of the spreading surfaces. In this form of the tool, the spreading surfaces also act as guards which project beyond the ripping knife and absolutely prevent the engagement of the knife with the material from which the stitching is being ripped. The s n'eading or stretching surfaces in this form of tool not only afford a housing for the knife, but the transverse groove or recess serves as a guide into which the material upon opposite sides of the line of stitching is slightly depressed as the material is stretched. over the guards or stretching surfaces, and retains and guides the tool in the line of stitching so as to facilitate the rapid work of the operator.

I prefer to form the tool of a sheet metal. stamping properly shaped to present a cylindrical head. or a otive portion, with one or more transverse grooves or recesses in its forward face and a longitudinal slot to re ceive the ripping knife in the bottom of the groove or grooves. The knife is preferably made of very thin steel formed with a spring barrel which fits the bore of the active end. of the tool and holds the knife in proper operative position. The longitudinal slot in the end of the tool is preferably formed long enough to receive a knife of double length for the purpose of providing for the reversal of the knife to present a new cutting edge in operative position when a part of the cutting edge has become dulled from use.

The mounting of the ripping knife in the tool with the blade presented beneath the guard or spreading surfaces is mainly important in the protection of the goods from injury during the ripping operation, but this feature is also advantageous in protecting the knife from accidental injury when dropped or thrown carelessly into a work basket, and furthermore avoids all possible danger of injury to the operator.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will first describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings and afterward point out the novelty more particularly in the annexed claims.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of the preferred form of my improved stitch ripping tool. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. =1 is an end view of the same. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a similar view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 2. Fig. '7 is an enlarged view similar to Fig. 3 of the operative end of the tool. Fig. 8 is a similar view with the knife removed. Fig. 9 is a plan view of a sheet of metal having outlined thereon a stamped blank from which the preferred form of my improved tool is made. Fig. 10 is a plan view of the blank from which the knife is made. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the knife detached from the body portion of the tool. Figs. 12 and 13 are respectively a side elevation and edge of a modified form of the tool in which the working head extends transversely to the handle or body portion of the tool. Fig. 14 is a side elevation of an ordinary pocket knife with a modified form of my invention applied thereto to make a stitch ripping tool. Figs. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 are enlarged detail transverse sectional views illustrating several modifications of the working head of my improved stitch ripping tool, all embodying the same general principle. Fig. 21 is a plan view of a further modification of my invention embodying a double working head and a double knife. Fig. is a transverse sectional view of the same taken on the line 2222 of Fig. 21. Fig. 23 is a perspective view of the double knife shown in Figs. 21 and 22.

In the preferred form of my improved tool, as shown in Figs. 1 to 11, 1 is the body portion or handle, of any convenient shape, having formed integral with it at one end a cylindrical head or active portion This head 5 has one or more transverse grooves or recesses 6 formed in its forward face and extending only part way around the head 5. In the accompanying drawings, two such grooves 01' recesses 6 are shown in the various forms of the tool, but the number of such seam guiding grooves or recesses is immaterial to the scope of my invention. This head also has a longitudinal slit or narrow slot 7 opening inwardly from its outer end and communicating with the central bore 8; 10 is the knife preferably formed with the integral spring barrel portion 10 which is adapted to fit snugly within the bore 8 of the head 5 and hold the knife blade 10 in position in the longitudinal slot 7, the knife being of such width that its cutting edge will be presented below the surface or gen eral contour of the curved faces of the head 5.

The transversely grooved or interrupted curved faces 5 5 of the head 5, extending upon opposite sides of the longitudinal slot 7 constitute first, the stretching or spreading surfaces for stretching the material upon opposite sides of the line of stitching. and second the guards for preventing contact of the knife with the material, when in operation, or with an object when not in use. The grooves (3 are for the purpose of permitting the stretched material upon opposite sides of the line of stitching to be depressed sntliciently between the stretching or spreading surfaces to effect the guiding of the tool in the direction of the line of stitchingduring the ripping operation.

The bore or opening 8 extends entirely through the head 5 of the tool to facilitate the removal of the knife from the ripping head by inserting a small object such as a match stem atthe inner end of the bore 8 and forcing the knife out at the outer end of the head. The narrow slot 7 is of sutficient. length to receive a knife blade of double the length that is in active use at any time, so that after the knife 1 ecomes dull in one place, it can be removed and again inserted in reversed position in the head to present a new sharp cutting edge within the grooves (3 of the ripping head. The opposite end of the handle or body portion 1 of the tool may be cut out in the form of a crescent to provide two sharp stitch picking points 15 which are useful for starting the ripping operation by picking and breaking two or three stitches.

My improved tool may be made with one, two or more guiding grooves (3 as shown, or the tool may be formed with guiding gro ves: npoii diametrically opposite faces, in which form, as shown in Figs. 21, 22 and 2?), I provide a knife with two cutting blades 10 presented diametrically opposite to each other and connected by an integral curved spring body 1 as shown. In this form, the head 5 is of course provided with longitudinal slots 7 arranged diametrically opposite to receive the double knife.

\Yhile I prefer to form the head of the ripping tool of cylindrical shape, it will be clear that practically the same results can be obtained with other forms of heads, such for instance as shown in Figs. 15 to 20 of the drawings. I would have it understood that any tool having the described characteristics of my improved ripping tool is considered by me to be within the scope of my invention without particular reference to the exact shape of the tool. The tool may be made of any suitable material and either solid or of hollow form, but as stated above, I prefer to form the tool of a sheet metal stamping properly shaped by suitable dies.

In producing the tool of the preferred form as shown in Figs. 1 to 8 of the drawings. I take a sheet of any suitable metal having the required strength and rigidity and by use of a properly shaped die, stamp therefrom a blank such as outlined in Fig. 9 of the drawings. This blank is then subioeted to the action. of suitable forming dies which round up the operative head portion, :torn'i the stretching or spreading surfaces 5" 5, the guiding grooves t3 and the knife receiving bore 8 and slot 7.

In rounding up the head p rtion 01": the tool, Figs. 4t, 5 and (5, it will be observed that the ll 5; a which ar, cut shorter than the lips 25, see Fig. 9, are pressed inwardly to a greater degree thereby producing the grooves 63 and inner knife receiving bore 8.

In torn'iing the knite, it take a blank of sheet metal such as shown in Fig. 1.0 and stamp it up into the itojrin shown in Fig. 11, that is having the blade portion 10 and the compressible spring barrel portion 10; or for the double edged tool, into the term Sl10\ n in Figs. :22 and In the linreterred form of the tool, it will be observed that the ripping head is in the same general longitudinal. plane as the haadle portion of the tool, it have tound this the most convenient form for the tool for rapid work, but it will be c ear that the ripping head 5 may be arranged at right angles to the body portion, or at any Other angle with relation to the body portion to suit the convenience or taste of the designer. in 12 and 13, I. hav: shown one other tt'orni ot the 'staniped inetal tool in which the ripping head is arranged at an angle to the handle portion, of the tool. in this itorni ot the tool the operation is the same, e1;- oeptine' that the tool is held at z dili'erent angle by the oper: tor in performing the ri pp ing.

in Fig. 141: I have shown a ovlindriial head 5 of the ctnistruction described with the handle or body portion omitted. This :l'oriu oi the device is suitable tor mounting upon the blade of an ordinary pocket knite, to torni a stitch ripping tool ol it.

To operate the tool. the body or handle portion it is seized and the head portion thrust bet veeu the layers o't goods held by the stitching, in such manner that the threads at the line of stitching will. pass into one (it the grooves (3, thereby bringing said threads directly in contact with the cutting edge i0 ot the knife. When the ll.2ltl is thrust forward on the line of stitching, the stretchiu4- or spriading surtacos will. force the goods apart and bring the uubrokein uncut threads against the knife, within the transverse groove i in a taut condition where they w'll be quickly and )asily severed.

lv'hen the tool is actively engaged in ripplug a scam the best result can be obtained by slightly rocking or vibrating; the tool.

gets .3

This action tends to force the knife against the thread in such a manner and at such an angle as to give a better, quicker and cleaner out than when the knife is forced directly against the thread at right angles thereto. The picking points 15 on the end of the handli are used to break a stitch or two when it is desired to open a strain to in sort the head 5 :lor ripping purposes.

Particular attention is called to the fact that when the tool is in operative position, that is in position to rip the scam, the spreading surfaces of the head will hold the fabric away from the groove or recess 6 in said head so that the thread of the set in will be fed into the groove or recess and in contact with the knife. The constant feed of the seam threads into the groove or recess guides the tool and causes said tool to follow the siain line without care or attention on the part of the ope =ator.

Claims.

1. A. stitch rippingtool comprising the combination with a body of generally circular cross section, formed with transverse approximately circular, cloth spreading surfaces and a t'ansve'se stitch receiving groove; of a stitch severing knife with its cutting edge exposed in said groove transversely thereof and below the gene 'al contour 01 said cloth spreading surtaces.

in a stitch ripping tool, the combination o't' an approximately cylindrical body tornual with transversely grooved cloth en- ;ra ine' and spreading surfaces, a knife mounted longitudinally in said body between said surt'aces, with its cutting edge i .iterse-ctin said groove below the general, contour of said sur'taees, said tool being adapted to rock on an axis back oi. the cutting edge o't' said knite in. the ripping operas tion.

3. In a stitch ripping; tool the conibination ot an approxiniately cylindri all head having a longitudinal bore, a longitudinal slot communicating with said bore and a, transverse seain guiding groove intersecting said slot, with a knite framed with a body :iirictionally held within said bore against longitudinal displacement and a blade tornicd integral with said. body, [itting in said slot to hold it against lateral (liEwljiltlCOlllGii I, the cutting edge of said blade being: presented to intersect said sani guidsaid head.

TVHJLIAM A. counrnan'n. d' i tnesscs 'Wat. F. lizvioirr, (hf-(ravine KNIGHT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of latents, Washington, D. G.

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